Category SKY Meditation

October 10, 2017October 10, 2017 by admin

IAHV and The Art of Living will host #VegasMeditates – A free community event to promote peace and healing

Washington, D.C., October 10, 2017 — The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) will host #VegasMeditates, a free community event for residents of Las Vegas.

This public event will be held on Oct. 12 from 6:30–8:30 pm PST at the Alexis Park Suites Resort – ‘Ballroom Apollo’, Las Vegas. And it will also be webcast live across the country.

#VegasMeditates will feature highly effective breathing techniques. gentle yoga and guided meditations to help release trauma and stress, and, begin the journey towards healing and peace.

For over 37 years, the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) have helped more than 370 million people achieve inner peace through self-development and resiliency programs based on meditation, breathing and yoga.

The centerpiece of these programs is Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) – a rhythmic breathing technique that harmonizes the body, breath and mind; enabling the deepest connection with oneself. Individuals from all walks of life such as students, doctors, prisoners, scientists, professors, veterans and business executives have benefited from this technique. More than 60 independent studies published in peer review journals across the world have demonstrated the benefits of SKY including a reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD and addictive behaviors, alongside, an increase in peace, empathy and overall well-being

These programs developed under the direction of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a global humanitarian, make the ancient practices of meditation accessible and relevant in today’s fast paced life.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is the founder of the AOLF and IAHV. All AOLF and IAHV programs are guided by Sri Sri’s philosophy: “Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace.”

True to this idea, the volunteers of the AOLF and IAHV continue to go wherever and whenever there arises a need for stress relief and community-building.

AOLF and IAHV invites everyone in the community to join them in this effort towards peace building and healing.

About The Art of Living Foundation:

AOLF is a non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization founded by a global humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It offers educational and self-development programs that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep inner peace, happiness and well-being.

About The International Association for Human Value:

IAHV, a sister non-profit, offers programs to reduce stress and develop leaders so that human values can flourish in people and communities. IAHV fosters the practice of human values – respect for all, an attitude of non-violence, and community service. Through our service projects we develop communities that are resilient, responsible, and inspired.

About Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a global humanitarian and a spiritual leader who has rekindled traditions of yoga and meditation that have helped millions achieve personal and social transformation by relieving stress and discovering inner peace in daily life. Named one of the “Seven Most Powerful People in India,” by Forbes, he has been credited in bringing opposing parties together to facilitate meditation and peace talks in Colombia, Iraq, Cote d’Ivoire, and India.

August 17, 2017August 17, 2017 by admin

NEW HOPE AND PEACE FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD

Live on The Danielle Lin Show (www.daniellelin.com)

Ancient science breaks new ground in recovery
Guest: Leslye Moore, National Director PWHT
Guest: Colonel Joel Aoki, Aviation Officer, US Army
Guest: Cyndie Gibson, Ret. Lieutenant Colonel, Medical Director, U.S. Air Force

Listen to the segment here.

There is inspired hope for returning veterans struggling with the traumas of war. Project Welcome Home Troops is addressing the urgent need to support those who have served, along with their families, who are facing the emotional ravages that PTSD can cause. This proven method is shown to reduce depression, grief, guilt, and pain. The Sky Breathing Meditation course is being offered worldwide with an astounding impact of improving recovery rates up to 40 to 50%. This hour will open your heart with real life solutions.

To learn more: ProjectWelcomeHomeTroops.org

Email: info@pwht.org

August 10, 2017August 10, 2017 by admin

Blue Ridge Mountain Meditation Retreat Aims To Bring Peace and Connection to Veteran and Service Members

Veterans are our greatest renewable resource. They are leaders, problem solvers, and team players who thrive in adversity. However, when they return home from their service, many struggle to fully re-integrate with their families, work life and community. It can be challenging for a Veteran to relate to the life they left behind after exposure to traumatic events, chronic stress and the adverse conditions they observe people existing in. When they come home, many experience a loss of camaraderie, mission, purpose and can’t relate to the ‘first world problems’ that civilians complain about. They are often on their own to process these feelings. If they reach out for help, they may be offered therapies that offer only partial or temporary relief, or pharmaceuticals that mask symptoms but have undesirable side effects. Veterans don’t want a handful of meds, they want relief. They want to feel like themselves again.

Recent data from Veterans Affairs now shows the number of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD has tripled from 2008 and in 2017, an estimated 940,000 Veterans are living with PTSD. Every day 20 Veterans in distress are taking their own lives. It is an epidemic that is impacting the individual Veteran, their family and community and ultimately, is a reflection of our country as a whole. If these men and women are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice by volunteering themselves for service in the United States Armed Services to serve and protect our country, isn’t it right that our communities honor these veterans and help them to receive the greatest possible support and care on their return?

More and more, veterans are seeking integrative health therapies that are demonstrated to be effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. The SKY Breathing Meditation workshop, of Project Welcome Home Troops (PWHT), a program of the International Association for Human Values, is one of therapies gaining interest and attention from both the U.S. Armed Services and from the Veterans Administration (VA). PWHT’s multi-disciplinary workshop is offered free of cost to veterans and their immediate family members. In a few short days, they begin to feel relief from their symptoms, enjoying improved sleep quality & duration, better regulation of emotions, and an improved sense of wellbeing. After the five–day workshop, many also report feeling more peaceful within and have a healthier connection with the outside world.

Art of Living Retreat Center, Boone, NC

From August 24 – 27^th, Project Welcome Home Troops will bring nearly hundred of its Veteran alumni. Veterans from 20 states and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands will come to the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC. for a weekend of meditation, being in nature and building camaraderie. These Veterans will become ambassadors and teachers for the program, ultimately leaders of PWHT – making the program their own and bringing it to their fellow Veterans across the country.

Veterans Practicing SKY Breathing Meditation

SKY Breathing Meditation is presently part of a clinical trial at the War Related Injury and Illness Study Center of the Palo Alto VA comparing SKY Breathing Meditation to Cognitive Processing Therapy, a common treatment for PTSD at the VA. In an earlier study of the workshop conducted with Veterans at the University of Wisconsin, Center for Healthy Minds and Stanford University, a statistically significant reduction in the symptoms of PTSD was noted. Follow-up data after one month, six months and a year showed that the improvements measured immediately following the workshop were sustained, indicating that the changes may be permanent.

The workshop begins to heal the invisible wounds of war and service. Changes begin to manifest for the Veteran outwardly, and include improved relationships and hope for the future. They welcome the reignited sense of camaraderie and report a desire to become a better spouse, parent and employee. Many of the veterans at the end of the workshop say, “I got myself back.” This workshop has the power to do for a veteran what years of medication or talk therapy may not be able to achieve.

The primary investigator at the VA clinical trial states, “The implication of this program is enormous. We may have the ability to reach and treat a whole group of Veterans in a significant, efficient and cost-effective way.”

Questions or comments? Please write to leslye.moore@pwht.org

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November 6, 2015January 23, 2017 by admin

New Study Shows Anti-Anxiety and Anti-Depression Effects of SKY Meditation

WASHINGTON, DC : Nov 5, 2015, The Art of Living Foundation and International Association for Human Values announced today that studies conducted by doctors and researchers at the Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico Hospital of Milan, Italy, found that SKY, a yoga based breathing technique program, significantly reduces levels of anxiety and depression. This suggests a promising new low-cost adjunct therapy for improving mental health and well-being without side effects.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in ages 18 and older, or 18% of the population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The positive outcomes of reduced cortisol levels with the SKY breathing technique in patients suffering from both anxiety and depression brings into focus an alternative, low-cost treatment for one of the most widespread health issues of our time. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America recently reported nearly 90 percent of Americans value mental health and physical health equally, yet about one-third find mental health care inaccessible, and more than four in 10 see cost as a barrier to treatment.
Sudarshan Kriya Yoga as an effective anti-anxiety and anti-depression treatment

In the Italian studies, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), a comprehensive yoga breathing based program, demonstrated significant improvements in patients suffering from depression and anxiety. The researchers found SKY to be effective in relieving both clinical and non-clinical anxiety and depression. Interestingly, patients who were not on medication achieved the same impressive results as patients who were on medication. And results persisted at six months, showing it could not be a placebo effect.

These observed psychological improvements are corroborated by physiological changes documented in other depression and anxiety studies, such as reduced biomarkers of stress including cortisol (the stress hormone), increased levels of prolactin (a wellbeing hormone), and the return to normal of specific brain wave patterns that are often abnormal in depressed patients.
According to the researchers who conducted the study, there is sufficient evidence to consider SKY as a beneficial, low-risk, low-cost adjunct to standard psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy used in the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.

“We chose SKY because the protocol is based on simple breathing techniques that the patients can easily practice at home. This allows them to see concrete results day after day and recognize that they can take charge of improvement of their condition. This is very important because it further leads to some essential and desired side benefits: empowerment, improvement of self-esteem, and a positive change in patient’s perception of their disorder,” said Dr. Stefania Doria, psychiatrist and lead author of the scientific paper published from this research.

About the study
The study was conducted in the Neurosciences Department of Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico hospital in Milan with 69 adults (25-64 years) with a primary diagnosis of anxiety disorders. Participants were divided into two groups: one underwent SKY treatment only, and the other had SKY treatment in addition to the standard pharmacological antidepressant and/or anxiolytic treatment. An important finding was that SKY was uniformly effective in providing remission from the clinical conditions in both patients who were on medication, as well as those who were unable or unwilling to take medication. The study results demonstrated that the implementation of SKY therapy in a scientifically controlled, medical environment significantly reduced the levels of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from these disorders. For more, click here.

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga:
Sudarshan Kriya™ and its accompanying breathing practices (SKY) are derived from the 5,000 year old Yogic Science of Breath. Taught by certified instructors of the Art of Living Foundation & IAHV, SKY incorporates specific natural rhythms of the breath to harmonize the body, mind and emotions.

About the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) and International Association for Human Values (IAHV)
Founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, AOLF is an international humanitarian organization that offers educational and self-development programs to manage stress, foster inner peace and improve well-being. IAHV is a global organization that offers programs to reduce stress and develop leaders so that human values can flourish in people and communities. Both the non-profit organizations hold a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

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